


If

by dixonbelcourts



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: Angst, Borderline Personality Disorder, Dragon Age Quest: Here Lies the Abyss, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, comments appreciated lmao ask me abt them, dont know if i should tag that but like. theyre all so......blatant????? i love them, talk of if dante dies there, this was gonna be in an au where he does but like. i like this on its own so lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-16
Updated: 2016-09-16
Packaged: 2018-08-15 07:54:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8048395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dixonbelcourts/pseuds/dixonbelcourts
Summary: “If I don’t come back from Skyhold -” The pirate cuts him off right there, pressing her lips to his again.
Not now. After so many years and so many fights, she won’t lose him now. Both she and Fenris had left him once, both lost him, and she knows neither of them will let that happen again. Kirkwall was long behind them, they were meant to be safe now.
“You will.” she says, as if it’s the most simple fact in the world.





	If

Dawn is creeping up over the horizon when he finally comes back to things. Isabela’s arms wrap around him and a kiss is pressed to his hair, bringing him from his trance. He could’ve sworn he’d only been sitting off the edge for an hour, but it’d been dark when he sat. The ocean was easy to get lost in, even if Dante found himself so easily seasick. The Waking Sea was especially calming, giving him all the nostalgia of the same sight he had in Kirkwall without being able to see the wreckage itself. The matching reassurance that he was far, far away from the city let him relax.

Dante tilts his head back to look at Isabela. She looked just as bedridden as always, bags under her eyes. The few grey hairs she had seemed more prominent by the day. But her eyes never lost that spark, Dante knew. Years ago she’d called on him to fight in the middle of a Chantry, and she stood before him with as much enthusiasm and recklessness today.

“You should get some clothes on.” he says, holding the hand that lays on his chest. “I don’t complain, really, but travellers might.”

Isabela laughs in response. But still, she leaves him for a moment to grab the blanket by the tent and wrap it around herself before sitting beside him.

“We’re _miles_ off Amaranthine.” she insists. “But I suppose there are more decent ways to meet your family.”

Dante grins at that, thinking of the Arl of Amaranthine. He hasn’t heard the words ‘your family’ in years. But no - he has a cousin. Regardless of what might happen at Skyhold with Varric and the Inquisitor...he has more family. That’s something that still hasn’t set in for him. He’s glad he doesn’t know what she looks like. That would only lead into nightmares about Bethany, about Carver, about Leandra. He doesn’t want to dream of them like that before even meeting her.

Isabela locks her arm with Dante’s, head resting on his shoulder. Simply sitting, staring at the sea with each other. It was nice to finally have some quiet. As much as the sea was her home, she did love moments like this. It was how old times could have been. If not for all the panic, all the people. Or The Arishok, really. They could do whatever they wanted now. She had people to fight for. Then it sets in that it’s all being taken away from her.

A snore interrupts the silence before Dante can ask why Isabela’s fingernails are digging into his arm. They both look back to the tent, smiling faintly at Fenris. Isabela’s half surprised he isn’t up yet. After they’d met he started sleeping longer, finally having the freedom to, and even more once he’d moved in with Dante. But in their travels he’d started waking up hours before dawn again. Paranoia didn’t look good on the elf.

“I think you tired him out too much.” Isabela jokes.

Dante turns back to the sea before she can see the blush spreading across his cheeks. He makes note to wash the cots before they packed up again. Isabela touches his face, turning his head to kiss him. It’s soft, nowhere near reminiscent of the night before or with any sort of urgency. She’s calm. Dante realizes. It’s a marvel for her. Then, not for the first time, he doubts his decision to go to Skyhold.

“‘Bela.” Dante interrupts, separating from her.

But only silence follows, no explanation. Isabela starts fearing she’s done him wrong before he finally speaks again.

“If I don’t come back from Skyhold -” The pirate cuts him off right there, pressing her lips to his again.

Not now. After so many years and so many fights, she won’t lose him now. Both she and Fenris had left him once, both lost him, and she knows neither of them will let that happen again. Kirkwall was long behind them, they were meant to be safe now.

“You will.” she says, as if it’s the most simple fact in the world.

Then she turns away from him, getting up from her spot on the ground. Dante watches as she walks down the small hill towards the water with a bucket. This isn’t a conversation he wants to have. But he chases after her anyway, skidding into the sand and boots splashing into the saltwater.

“You know I might not, Isabela.”

When Isabela sneers and turns away, he grabs her arm. He catches the red fabric tied around her wrist, something neither of them fail to notice. 

“I killed Corypheus before.” Dante starts, speaking louder, over the waves. “It didn’t work. It’s worse, ‘Bela.”

“And what’s the point in telling me?” Isabela snaps, taking back her arm. “You’ve fought worse and lived. You fought a fucking _city_ and won. Don’t you pretend you can’t do this.”

With that she storms off back to the camp, pouring the salt water onto the dim campfire. Dante sighs, the sound lost into the ocean. He wants to live. That’s an odd feeling for him. But now he has Fenris and Isabela, he has something to come back to and for. In that same branch he has people to devastate if he doesn’t. So he drudges up the hill, takes Isabela’s hand, and kisses the ribbon.

“I’m telling you because I need to know you’ll be safe.” he says. 

Isabela still refuses to look at him. He continues anyway, pointing to a sleeping Fenris in their tent.

“That you’ll both be safe. Go back to Kirkwall. There’s ten thousand gold in a locked chest in the closest of my quarters, if it’s still there. The key is in whatever’s left of Varric’s room in the Hanged Man. I’d left it for Gamlen, but I don’t even know if he’s still alive, much less where. Don’t bring Fenris. I don’t think he could handle it. Go up to Ostwick with him, make an excuse. Leave for Kirkwall when he’s sleeping. If he asks, you robbed one of the nobles. Believable enough.”

Isabela listens without looking, going over the plan in her head. She shoves it to the back of her mind. The last thing she wants to think about is the worst case scenario, and she can hardly handle him talking about like it’s such a definite thing to happen.

“Alright.” she says, and that’s it.

Dante’s face falls. It gives him more motivation to come back then anything else.

“I’ll...talk to Varric. He’ll send you a letter when it’s safe to come get me. In whatever case.” he finishes, tone steadier.

Both reactions are cut off when Fenris comes out from the tent yawning. The sight fills Dante with utter melancholy. He resists the urge to take the elf in his arms, because he knows if he does then they’ll spend the day that way. Isabela isn’t so reluctant, moving to Fenris in one swift stride and kissing him.

She seems desperate. Dante could swear he can see her shaking. Fenris’ hands stay awkwardly in the air. He’d never done too well with being caught off guard. When Isabela separates from him he comes back, pressing a quick peck to her cheek.

“Morning,” Dante says, taking Fenris’ hand.

Fenris dazily looks to him before kissing him as well, lazy against his mouth. Dante’s arms wrap around Fenris’ back, nails scratching against leather.

He won’t lose this.

**Author's Note:**

> "Haha so what if Dante actually DID die in the fade imagine how fucked up they'd be imagine how accepting he'd be of it"


End file.
